X. You have heard of many great things performed for you by Divine Providence in the former particulars; but there is an eminent favour it bestows on the saints, which hath not yet been considered, and indeed is too little minded by us, and that is, the aid and assistance it gives the people of God in the great work of mortification.
Mortification of our sinful affections and passions is the one half of our sanctification; Dead indeed anto sin, but alive unto God,” Rom. vi. 11. Itis the great evidence of our interest in Christ. See Gal. v. 24; Rom. vi. 5—9. It is our safety in the hour of temptation. The corruptions in the world are through lust, 2 Pet. i. 4. Our instrumental fitness for service depends much upon it, 2 Tim. ii. 21; John xv. 2. How great a service to our souls, therefore, must that be by which this blessed work is carried on upon them!
Now, there are two means or instruments employed in this work, “The Spirit who effects it internally, Rom. viii. 13, and Providence, which assists it externally. The Spirit indeed is the principal agent, upon whose operation the success of this work depends; and all the providences in the world can never effect it without him. But these are secondary and subordinate means, which, by the blessing of the Spirit upon them, have a great stroke in the work. How they are so serviceable to this end and purpose, I shall open in the following account.
1. More generally. The most wise God orders the dispensations of Providence in a blessed subordination to the work of his Spirit. “There is a sweet harmony betwixt them in their distinct workings. They all meet in that one blessed issue which God hath by the counsel of his will directed them to, Eph. i. 11, and Rom. viii. 28. Hence jt is that the Spirit is said to be in, and to order the motions of, the wheels of Providence, Ezek. i. 20; and so they move together by consent. Now, one great part of the Spirit’s internal work being to destroy sin in the people of God, see how conformable to his design external providences are steered and ordered, in the following particulars.
There is in all the regenerate, a strong propension and inclination to sin, and in that lies a principal part of the power of sin. Of this, Paul sadly complains: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members,” Rom. vii. 23. And every believer daily finds it to his grief. Oh it is hard to forbear those things that grieve God! God hath made a hedge about us, and fenced us against sin by his laws; but there is a proneness in nature to break over the hedge, and that against the very resistance of the Spirit of God in us. Now see, in this case, the concurrence and assistance of Providence for the prevention of sin; look, as the Spirit internally resists those sinful inclinations, so Providence externally lays bars and blocks in our way to hinder and prevent sin. And this is the meaning of those places lately cited, Hos. ii. 6, and 2 Cor. xii. 7. So Job xxxiii. 17—19. There is many a bodily distemper inflicted on this very score, to be a clog to prevent sin! O bear them patiently upon this consideration.
Basil was sorely grieved with an inveterate headache, he earnestly prayed that it might be removed. But no sooner was he freed of this clog, but he felt the inordinate motions of lust; which made him pray for his headache again; so it might be with many of us, if our clogs were cut off. -_ of
A question may be moved here, Whether 1t be the genius and property of a gracious spirit to forbear sin, because of the rod of affliction. They have surely higher motives and nobler principles than these. ‘This is the temper of a carnal and slavish spirit. Indeed it is so when this is the sole or principal restraint from sin; when a man abhors not sin, because of the intrinsic filth, but only because of the troublesome consequences and effects. But this is vastly different from the case of the saints under sanctified afflictions; for, as they have higher motives and nobler principles, so they have lower and more sensible ones too; and these are, in their kind and place, very useful to them. Besides, you must know, that afflictions work in another way upon gracious hearts to restrain them from sin, or warn them against sin, than they do upon others. It is not so much the smart of the rod which they feel, as the tokens of God’s displeasure, which affright and scare them. Thou renewest thy witnesses against me,” &e. Job x. 17, and this is that which principally affects them. 0 Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure,” Psal. vi. 1, and O Lord, correct me, but with judgment, not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing,” Jer. x. 24. And surely this is no low and common argument. A
2. Notwithstanding this double sense of God’s command and preventive aftlictions, yet sin is too hard for the best of men; their corruptions carry them through all to sin: and when it is so, not only doth the Spirit work internally, but Providence also works externally, in order to their reduction. The ways of sin are not only made bitter unto them by the remorse of conscience, but by those afflictive rods upon the outward man, with which God also follows it; and, in both these respects 1 find that place expounded Whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him,” Eccles. x. 8. If, as some expound it, the hedge be the law of God, then the serpent is the remorse of conscience, and the sharp teeth of affliction, which he shall quickly feel, if he be one that belongs to God. a a,
The design and aim of these afflictive providences is to purge and cleanse them from that pollution into which temptations have plunged them. By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit, to take away his sin,” Isa. xxvii. 9. To the same purpose is this passage, Before I was afflicted, I went astray; but now have I kept thy word,” Psal. cxix. 67. These afflictions have the same use and end to our souls that frosty weather hath upon those clothes that are laid a-bleaching; they alter the hue, and make them whiter. And some of them of understanding shall fail, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white,” Dan. xi. 35. ‘
And here it may be queried, upon what account afflictions are said to purge away the iniquities of the saints. Is it not unwarrantable, and very dishonourable to Christ, to attribute that to affliction, which is the peculiar honour of his blood?
It is confessed, that the blood of Christ is the only lavatory, or fountain, opened for sin, and that no afflictions, howsoever many, or strong, or continual they be, can in themselves purge away the pollution of sin, as we see in wicked men, who are afflicted, and afflicted, and again afflicted, and yet nevertheless sinful; and the torments of hell, how extreme, universal, and continual soever they are, yet shall never fetch out the stain of one sin.
But yet this hinders not but that a sanctified affliction may, in the efficacy and virtue of Christ’s blood, produce such blessed effects upon the soul. Though a cross, without a Christ, never did any man good, yet thousands have been beholden to the cross as it hath wrought in the virtue of his death for their good; and this is the case of those -souls that this discourse is concerned about.
3. We find the best hearts, if God bestow any comfortable enjoyment upon them, too apt to be overheated in their affections towards it, and to be too much taken up with these outward comforts. “This also shows the great power and strength of corruption in the people of God, and must, by some means, or other, be mortified in them. This was the case of Hezekiah; his heart was too much affected with his treasures, so that he could not hide a vain-glorious temper, as you find in Isa. xxxix. 2, and so good David thought his mountain, that is, his kingdom, and the splendour and glory of his present state, had stood so fast that it should never be moved, Psal. xxx. 7. How did the same good man let out his heart and affections upon his beautiful son Absilom! as appears by the doleful lamentation he wade at his death, prizing him above his own life, which was a thousand times more worth than he. So Jonah, when God raised up a gourd for him to shelter him from the sun, how excessively was he taken with it, and was exceedingly glad of it!
But will God suffer things to lie thus? Shall the creature purloin and draw away our affections from him? No; this is our corruption, and God will purge it. And to this end he sends forth Providence to smite those creatures on which our affections are either inordinately or excessively let out, or else to turn them into rods, and smite us by them.
Is Hezekiah too much puffed up with his full exchequer? Why, those very Babylonians, to whom he boasted of it, shall empty it, and make a prey of it, Isa. xxxix. 6. Is David hugging himself in a fond conceit of the stability of his earthly splendour? Lo! how soon God beclouds all, Psal. xxx. 7. Is Absalom doated on, and has he crept too far into his good father’s heart? This shall be the son of his sorrow, who shall seek after his father’s life, Is Jonah so transported with his gourd? God will prepare a worm to smite it, Jonah iv. 6, 7.
How many husbands, wives, and children, hath Providence smitten upon this very account! God might have spared them longer, if they had been loved more regularly and moderately. This hath blasted many an estate and hopeful project, and it is a merciful dispensation for our good.
4. The strength of our unmortified corruption shows itself in our pride, and the swelling vanity of our hearts, when we have a name and esteem among men, when we are applauded and honoured, when we are admired for any gift or excellency that is in us; this draws forth the pride of the heart, and shows the vanity that is in it. So you read, As the fining-pot for silver, and the furnace for gold, so is a man to his praise,” Prov. xxvii. 21, that is, as the furnace will discover what dross is in the metal, when it is melted, so will praise and commendations discover what pride is in the heart of him that receives them. This made a good man say, ‘ He that praises me, wounds me.”” And, which is more strange, this corruption may be felt in the heart, even when the last breath is ready to expire. It was a saying of one of the German divines, when those about him recounted, for his encouragement, the many services he had done for God: Take away the fire, for there is still the chaff of pride in me.” To crucify this corruption, Providence takes off the bridle of restraint from ungodly men, and sometimes permits them to traduce the names of God’s servants, as Shimei did David’s. - Yea, they shall fall into disesteem among their friends, as Paul did among the Corinthians; and all this to keep down the swelling of their spirits at the sense of those excellencies that are in them; the design of these providences being nothing else than to hide pride from man. Yea, it deserves a special remark, that when some good men have been engaged in a public and eminent work, and have therein, it may be, too much sought their own applause, God hath withheld such usual assistance at such times from them, and caused them to falter so in their work, that they have come off with shame and pity at such times, how ready and self-possessed soever they have been at other times. It were easy to give divers remarkable examples to confirm this observation. But I pass on.
5. The corruption of the heart shows itself, in raising up great expectations to ourselves from the creature, and projecting abundance of felicity and contentment from some promising and hopeful enjoyments we have in the world. This we find to have been the case of holy Job in the days of his prosperity. Then I said, I shall die in my nest, I shall multiply my days as the sand,” Job xxix. 18. But how soon were all these expectations dashed by a gloomy providence, that benighted him in the noontide of his prosperity! And all this for his good, to take off his heart more fully from creature-expectations. We often find the best men to over-reckon themselves in worldly things, and overact their confidences about them. They that have great and well-grounded expectations from Heaven, may have too great and ungrounded expectations from the earth. But when itis so, it is very usual for Providence to undermine their earthly hopes, and convince them, by experience, how vain they are, Thus the people’s hearts were intently set upon prosperous providences, full harvests, and great increase; whilst in the mean time, no regard was had to the worship of God, and the things of his house; therefore Providence blasts their hopes, and brings them to little, Haggai ii. 19.
Corruption discovers itself in dependence upon creature-comforts and sensible props. Oh! how apt are the best of men to lean upon those things and stay themselves upon them! Thus did Israel stay themselves upon Egypt, as a feeble man would lean upon his staff’; but God suffered it both to fail them and wound them, Ezek. xxix. 6, 7. So how apt are individuals to depend upon their sensible supports! Thus we lean on our relations, and the inward thoughts of our hearts are, that they shall be to us so many springs of comfort to refresh us throughout our lives; but God will show us, by his providence, our mistake and error in these things. Thus a husband is smitten to draw the soul of a wife nearer to God in dependence upon him, 1 Tim. v. 5. So for children, we are apt to say of this or that child as Lamech did of Noah, This. same shall comfort us,” Gen. v. 29, but the wind passes over these flowers, and they are withered, to teach us that our happiness is not bound up in these enjoyments. So for our estates, when the world smiles upon us, and we have got a warm nest, how do we prophesy of rest and peace in those acquisitions, minding, with good Baruch, great things for ourselves; but Providence, by a particular or general calamity, overturns our projects, as Jer. xlv. 4, 5, and all this to reduce our hearts from the creature to God, our only rest.
Corruption discovers its strength in good men, by their adherence to things below, and unwillingness to go hence. This often proceeds from the engaging enjoyments and pleasant fruitions we have here below. Providence mortifies this inclination in the saints by killing those ensnaring comforts before-hand, making all, or most of our pleasant things to die before us; by embittering this world to us by the troubles of it; and by making life undesirable, through the pains and infirmities we feel in the body, and so loosing our root, in order to our more easy fall by the fatal stroke.
And thus, I have furnished the second general head; but, before 1 pass from this, I cannot but make a pause, and desire you, with me, to stand in a holy amazement, and wonder at the dealings of God with such poor worms as we are! Surely God deals familiarly with men! His condescensions to his own clay are astonishing! All that I shall note at present about it shall be under these three heads, wherein 1 find the matter of my present meditations summed up by the psalmist, Lord, what is man that thou takest knowledge of him? or the son of man that thou makest account of him?’ Psal. In this Scripture you have represented the immense and transcendent greatness of God, who is infinitely above us and all our thoughts: Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection? It is as high as heaven, what canst thou do? deeper than hell, what ~canst thou know? the measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea,” Job xi. 7—9. The heaven, and heaven of heavens cannot contain him,” 2 Chron. ii. 6. He is glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders,” Exod. xv. 11. When the Scriptures speak of him comparatively, see how it expresses his greatness: Behold the nations are as the drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance; behold he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering. All nations before him are as nothing, and they are accounted to him less than nothing, and vanity,” Isa. xl. 15—17. When the holiest men have addressed themselves to him, see with what humility and deep adoration they have spoken of him and to him! Wo is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts,” Isa. vi. 5. Nay, what respects the very angels of heaven have of that glorious majesty, you may see, ver. 2, 3. Each one had six wings, with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered bis feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory.”
Also here is shown the baseness, vileness, and utter unworthiness of man, yea, the holiest and best of men, before God. Verily, every man at his best estate, is altogether vanity,” Psal. xxxix. 5 Every man, take where you will, and every man, in his best estate, or standing in his freshest glory, is not only vanity, but altogether vanity, or every man is very vanity; for do but consider the best of men in their extraction, in their constitution, and in their outward condition. In their extraction, by nature children of wrath, even as others,” Eph. ii. 3. The blood that runs in our veins is as much tainted as theirs in hell. Consider them in their constitution, and natural temper, and it is no better: yea, in many a worse temper than in reprobates; and though grace deposed sin in them from the throne, yet, oh, what offensive and God-provoking corruptions daily break out in the best hearts! Consider them in their outward condition, and they are inferior, for the most part, to others, 1 Cor. i. 26—28, «1 thank thee, O Father,” saith Christ, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes,” Matt. xi, 25. And now let us consider and admire, that ever this great and blessed God should be so much concerned as you have heard he is, in all his providences, about such vile, despicable worms as we are! He needs us not, but is perfectly blessed and happy in himself without us. We can add nothing to him. Can a man be profitable to ~ God?” Job xxii. 2. No; the holiest of men add nothing to him; yet see how great account he “makes of us. For,
1. Doth not his eternal, electing love bespeak the dear account he made of us? Eph. i. 4, 5. How ancient, how free, and how astonishing is this act of grace! This is that design which all providences are in pursuit of, and will not rest till they have executed.
2. Doth not the gift of his only Son, out of his bosom, bespeak this truth, that God makes great account of this vile thing, man? Never was man so magnified before. If David could say, When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy hands, the moon, and the stars, which thou hast ordained, Lord, what is man?”’ Psal. viii. 3, how much more may we say, when we consider thy Son, that lay in thy bosom, his infinite excellency, and unspeakable dearness to thee; Lord, what is man, that such a Christ should be delivered to death for him? for him, and not for fallen angels? Heb. ii. 16; for him, when in a state of enmity with God? Rom. v. 8.
3. Doth not the assiduity of His providential care for us speak his esteem of us? Lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day,” Isa. xxvii. 3. He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous,” Job xxxvi. 7. No, not for a moment all- their days; for, did he so, a thousand mischiefs, in that moment, would rush in upon them, and ruin them.
4. Doth not the tenderness of his Providence speak his esteem for us? As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you,” Isa. lxvi. 13. He comforts his, by refreshing providences, as an indulgent mother her tender child. So Isa. xxxi. D. As birds fly to their nests, when their young are in danger, so he defends his. No tenderness in the creature can shadow forth the tender bowels of the Creator.
5. Doth not the variety of the fruits of his providence speak it? Our mercies are new every morning,” Lam. iii. 23. See Psal. xl. 5. Itisa fountain from which do stream forth spiritual and temporal, ordinary and extraordinary, public and personal mercies, mercies without number.
6. Doth not the ministration of angels in the providential kingdom speak it? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister,” Ieb. Doth not the Providence which this day calls us to celebrate the memory of, bespeak the great account God hath for his people? O, if not so, why had we not been given up as a prey to their teeth? See Psal. exxiv. If the Lord had not been on our side, then wicked men, there compared to fire, water, and wild beasts, had devoured us. O blessed be God for that teeming providence which hath already brought forth more than seventy years’ liberty and peace to the church of God. T shall move in behalf of this providence, that you would do by it as the Jews by their Purim, Esth. ix. 27, 28, and the rather, because we seem now to be as near danger by the same enemy as ever since that time; and if such a mercy as this be forgotten, God may say, “I will deliver you no more,” Judges x. 13.